Dad was right...

Pub after "class" this Wednesday?

Hello fellow philosophers,

while cleaning up after my son's 1st birthday party, i found a coupon for Koerner's pub! Only one, i'm afraid, so it won't go far, but it inspired me to wonder: maybe if a few of us are sweating away over our papers this Wednesday, we might get together at the pub to celebrate, procrastinate, pontificate and / or commiserate...?

I'm planning to write most of the afternoon and early evening, but i'll pack it in around 7 and head to the pub. Please feel fully encouraged to join me. If things go well, we can end the night with a song:

YouTube - The Philosophers' Drinking Song

Cheers,

Ryan

PS: since i'm not sure everyone checks this blog, i emailed as well. Cause i'm redundant (and repetitive) like that.

hello all,

I have to miss class on Wed. due to a family commitment and I'm wondering if anyone who usually brings their computer to class might be willing to audio record the class/discussion for me? Might be a long shot, but figured I'd ask! If so, please drop me an email at revkerri@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Kerri

Critiquing Critique -

During our discussion on critique we discussed how "functionally critical simulations, constantly making artificial meanings appear as if they are the real meanings, and pretending to discover insight when in reality they [create] the model that produced the insight ... [produce] more of a simulation of insight rather than anything novel" (bit.ly/dbQbEC). This reminded me of Slavoj Žižek's critique of charity, in which he argues that charity is a primary means by which capitalism maintains ideologic hegemony. The Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts has stitched three different Žižek presentations together and added animation. I've used this clip in my social studies classes to great effect (i.e., it generated reflexivity), and maybe some of you might appreciate it too.

See: YouTube: Zizek - First As Tragedy, Then As Farce.

For bonus, this video came up in a chat with Dr. Ruitenberg. I suspect it might be good for some laughs?: Slavoj Zizek on the Horrors of Tulips.

ugh

I'm having a bit of trouble... any thoughts would be helpful.

I'm struggling with the line between the readings on hermeneutics and translation/metaphor. Is there one? Is it distinct? How on Earth did I miss it?

I think I felt that the transition from Phenomenology into Hermeneutics was pretty fluid. I understand the differences between Phenomenlogy and Translation...but I'm struggling to delineate between the most recent sets of readings.

... am I being silly in even trying to separate them?

VPL Fall Book Sale -

In the off-chance there are other bibliophiles in the class, I thought I'd give a heads-up that the VPL is having it's annual Fall Book Sale. It began on Thurs and runs through Sunday. New books are continually added to the pile so finding things can be a little random. Here are the goodies I picked up:

• Howard Gardner, Extraordinary Minds
• John Gray, Black Mass
• Barbara Ladouceur & Phyllis Spence (Eds.), Blackouts to Bright Lights: Canadian War Bride Stories

Learing Hermeneutics with South Park -

For the bittorrent-capable, see - http://torrent.zoink.it/South.Park.S14E02.The.Tale.of.Scrotie.McBoogerballs.HDTV.XviD-FQM.[eztv].torrent

For a lower-quality embedded version, see - http://www.tu.tv/videos/south-park-14x02-the-tale-of-scrotie-m

Hooray for pop culture + philosophy. :)